--- Roric

There. Another servant bowed to me. I've yet to get used to this.

During his free time Roric would often wander around the areas of the palace he had access to, in the desperate hope of finding something to do. Life within those walls was pretty much uneventful, despite that place being the pulsating core of the Kingdom, and the boy wasn't sure of how much more he could resist without venturing outside again.

He had never taken another stroll down to the city, like he originally planned to do, because another thought kept his mind occupied. A thought bearing a very important name.

It's been two days since I last met Elise. I wonder what she's up to. If only I could show her a bit of Cassidia! She seemed so eager to see it as well, but...

The real reason why he couldn't leave the palace had definitely something to do with her. As much as the young warrior wanted to enjoy the interesting sights of the capital, the idea of doing it without his friend was simply discomforting. Moreover, even after putting that question aside, he was also still unsure of what a honour guard was supposed to do.

What's the point of me being here, exactly? Back in Fradot I could hang out with Elise as much as I wanted... I miss those days. I miss them a lot.

Roric had been able to stay with the princess only a handful of times since the day the King had formalized his presence. The obligations of his role were muddy to begin with, but to be frank he expected to do a little more than accompany her to the gardens every once in a while. The girl was bound to feel like a bird in a cage at that rate, or so he imagined.

The evening was chilly, and the many balconies of the building almost desert. Members of the nobility would often lazy in that wing of the building usually, yet there was nobody around at that hour. The boy sat on a stone bench that overlooked the only meeting place he had the permit to visit, admiring the beauty of its trees and flowers.

This isn't what I expected. Nor what I wanted for Elise. I wonder if Dominic is still keeping an eye on her, from the grave. Is he satisfied, now that she has found her place in the world? Because even if she did, I don't think she ended up being happy.

That question, however, was more for himself than for the late old man. Leaning on the railing, Roric let the minutes pass by, until noises coming from behind drew his attention.

A person was rapidly nearing, along the corridor. From the nervous pace, the boy guessed that it was just a servant or messenger passing by, but for some reason he couldn't avert his gaze from the dimly lit halls. Then, all of a sudden, Elise herself appeared.

"I... Elise?" babbled Roric. "What are you doing here this late? Without Lady Annette, even-"

He cut it short. The girl's face was wet with tears. She stopped a short distance from where he was, looking at him with a desperate expression.

"What in the world happened?" he asked, standing up and walking to her. "You seem distraught."

"He... He..." she tried to say, her sobbing making her difficult to speak. "My father... He wants me..."

The young warrior rapidly checked if anyone was in sight, and then embraced her. It was something that would have angered her lady-in-waiting for sure, but it had to be done. How much time had passed since the last time it was only the two of them?

"There, there," he murmured, trying to calm her. "Don't cry."

"How... How am I supposed to..." she begged, glancing up to him with watery eyes.

"Tell me what's up, first."

***

"A tournament? For your hand?"

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Elise nodded, sniffing.

"I understand," said the boy. "No wonder you are so upset."

"Upset?" she exclaimed. "Upset doesn't even describe it! My father organized all of this behind my back, no less."

"It's a part of your duties to at least attend, I guess..."

The princess turned to him, with an angry glare.

"Don't you get it? They want me to get married now! A mere month or so after turning my life upside down!"

Roric gave her a half smile. "Well, from what you said it's not like anyone is forcing you to make a choice yet. Your father seems to love you too much for that to happen."

Standing up against the moon, the girl went closer to the edge of the balcony.

"He... He said the nobles will expect me to."

Oh yes, they will... But I can't believe King Sebastian would spit on his daughter's freedom like that. He is a man of honour, not a heartless bastard. I think the problem lies in how Elise is taking this.

"I didn't come to Cassidia to be a token," she went on. "If only I'd known, I'd never agreed to leave Fradot. I was happy at first, but now I think it was a bad idea, overall."

"You didn't really have a choice on the subject," replied the boy. "You should give your father a chance. Maybe you'll meet a fine guy at the tournament and..."

The rest he didn't dare to say. He didn't want to jinx it too much.

"You are right. But what if there was a way to avoid this stupid tradition entirely?" asked back Elise. "If I'm the princess, why am I not allowed to decide for my own future?"

"I could enter the competition and try to win, if that cheered you up."

Roric was joking, but in his mind was flashing a tiny spark of madness. What if he could? What if being a honour guard was exactly what he needed to help out his best friend, after all?

No... It's impossible. The court would never accept the idea of someone like me entering the tournament and the King wouldn't allow it. No matter how much I'd like to, I'll have to endure it and find the proper way to comfort her.

He wasn't born a noble. Nor he possessed the money or status to act like one. Still, despite the evident wrongness of that idea, the girl started to look at him in a very different way. For a second or two, her green eyes shone like gems in the evening, charming and soulful. The boy's words seemed to have had a surprising effect on the young princess' mood.

"Roric... Would you really do that for me?"

Ugh.

"I wasn't being serious, obviously. It's not like I could."

I stepped out of line again. I should be mindful that we aren't in Fradot anymore. This is not a place where you can simply say whatever goes through your head.

The girl, on the other hand, turned her gaze to the floor.

Don't tell me she... Really hoped for it.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" he wondered. "You haven't done anything-"

"For dragging you here," she continued. "With that stupid promise."

Sighing, the young warrior raised as well. "It's not a stupid promise. I said I would be at your side, whatever happened. And I plan to keep my word, even if you can't do anything about the tournament. It's not your fault."

A brief glance, that was all he got from the girl. She seemed on the point of saying something, but she was definitely holding back.

"You are the princess," went on Roric. "The only one who could force you to marry is your father. He himself must have gone through a lot while you were away. Trust me, the moment I saw him I could tell it from his face. He is a parent who would never hurt his child, no matter how grave the situation."

"Do you really think so?" asked Elise. "What he said about his obligations towards the court scared me, to be honest. It's almost like being the King is more of a burden than a privilege."

"Listen, you should..."

"Princess! Princess Elise! Where are you?"

Lady Annette was calling for the girl, from the gardens below. The duo held their breaths, startled by the sudden interruption.

Damn it. Right when we were finally getting to the point.

Glancing down from the balcony, the young warrior spotted the woman. She was holding a lantern and searching around clumsily, concerned for the whereabouts of her mistress. He bit his lip. As much as he would have wanted to keep her close to him in that difficult moment, Roric had to accept that it was time to get separated again.

"Annette is looking for me. I'm going back," said the princess. "Have a good night."

"Wait..." tried to answer the boy, but she ran away without looking behind.

Elise... Is there anything I can do to save you this time?

***

Lying in his bed, Roric struggled to fall asleep.

He couldn't stop thinking about Elise and the difficult position she had found herself into, not to mention his complete inability to help her. Turning on his side, the boy let out another sigh.

Why? At first I thought coming to this city would be a good thing, given what Dominic made me promise, but I ended up doing it for her, obviously. I was serious when I said I would always be at her side, yet... Now I'm simply not allowed to.

It was frustrating. Really frustrating. Roric had spent years training in order to become a stronger person, one who could right the many wrongs of the world, only to find out that it meant nothing inside Cassidia's royal palace. He clenched his fists in anger, wondering if the girl too was feeling as powerless as him in that very moment.

Many people here look down on me just because I'm a nobody. Ironically, the only ones who don't are those who hold the reins of power. Or at least, that's what they are supposed to do... If only there was a way for me to fight... If only I could fight for her and solve things that way!

Still, fighting and violence weren't the solution. The boy knew it well. In the past, he had grown used to rely on others with more experience for advice, but now he was facing the problem alone just like when he was a little kid. All the same, another time.

He couldn't bear the thought of Elise suffering like that, nor he could allow the court to treat her like an object or a prize. Not while he, who knew that girl better than anyone in that foreign kingdom, was forced to stay in the background and witness quietly as they humiliated her. Over the course of many months, the young warrior had developed too strong of an attachment towards his friend to ignore those feelings. He had to do something.

Yet, what can I do? All my skill, all my effort... They aren't enough to save Elise. Here in Cassidia, having an important name is a better weapon than-

Right. Roric still had his Elemental powers. If he had decided to smuggle the princess out of the city, it might have been possible. But then he would have been forced to kill some people in his way.

No! I can't even consider it. Elise would hate me, and I'm better than that. I've been through so much that there should be no problem in holding my feelings back. Even if... Even if...

Even if the princess ended up marrying someone else.

The young warrior had never wanted to consider that possibility. But was there really an alternative? The heir of a powerful bloodline, picking a mere lowborn out of the many men she could have chosen? Tears started wetting his cheeks before he could hold them back.

He was jealous, and frightened. The idea of losing her, hidden deep inside his mind until that moment, had now turned into a real risk. Roric knew not to be in love with Elise, or at least that was what he repeated to himself every day.

Those green, pretty eyes had no effect on him. None of that sort.

Yeah, then... Why does it hurt this much?